To a solution of 6-{[2-Chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbonyl}-3-iodo-1-(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridine (a mixture of regioisomers) (81 mg, 0.15 mmol) in DMF (1 mL) was added 5-fluoropyridine-2-boronic acid pinacol ester (84 mg, 0.38 mmol), cesium carbonate (198 mg, 0.600 mmol), copper chloride (15 mg, 0.15 mmol), palladium acetate (2 mg, 0.008 mmol) and 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (8 mg, 0.150 mmol). The reaction was stirred at 85° C. overnight under an atmosphere of N2. The reaction was diluted with water and aqueous sodium carbonate (5%) and extracted with EtOAc three times. The organic layers were combined, dried over anhydrous MgSO4, filtered and concentrated. The residue was purified by HPLC (Agilent prep system, Waters XBridge, C18, 5 μm, 30×100 mm column, 5-99% MeOH/20 nM NH4OH over 18 min at 30 mL/min). The product fractions were concentrated in vacuo and then dissolved in CH2Cl2 (1 mL). (THP deprotection) To the solution, triethylsilane (0.011 mL, 0.0737 mmol) and TFA (0.236 mL, 0.059 mmol) were added. The reaction was stirred at rt for 1 h then concentrated in vacuo. Chromatography on silica gel (0-100% ethyl acetatehexanes) provided the desired product as a colorless oil (4 mg, 6%). MS (ESI) mass calcd. C19H13ClF4N4O, 424.1. m/z found, 425.1 [M+H]+. 1H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3) δ 8.50-8.47 (m, 1H), 7.81-7.74 (m, 1H), 7.56-7.42 (m, 4H), 5.13 (d, J=16.5 Hz, 0.5H), 4.93 (d, J=16.5 Hz, 0.5H), 4.51 (d, J=15.8 Hz, 0.5H), 4.40 (d, J=15.9 Hz, 0.5H), 4.34-4.25 (m, 0.5H), 4.07-3.98 (m, 0.5H), 3.61-3.49 (m, 1H), 3.08-3.03 (m, 1H), 3.01-2.94 (m, 0.5H), 2.88-2.78 (m, 0.5H).
